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21 December 2016

In the prior McIntyre post regarding a
search for the family and origins of my great-great-grandmother,
Margery McIntyre (born ca. 1786), I neglected to mention a further
candidate. What I did mention then was that a James and an Ann
McIntyre on the River Rouge Road near St. Andrews East, Quebec, were
the likeliest suspects ―
if not old enough to be Margery's parents, then potentially close
relations. Another man seemingly of Margery's age also came
into focus.

On
7 September 1802 Laughlan McIntyre, a ship carpenter, married
Margaret McIntyre at the Anglican Church in Quebec City.[1]
He signed the register before witnesses Angus McIntyre and James
McDonald. He stated his age as twenty-nine years (born ca.1773). Note
the witness Angus, a name that occurs in the children of John Cameron
and wife Catherine McIntyre (but not among Margery McIntyre
Fraser’s). One of my questions: was Laughlin a carpenter on
a ship, or a carpenter at the port engaged in building ships?

Then Laughlan
McIntyre was a witness at the 30 October 1807 baptism of Allan, son
of John and Catherine (McIntyre) Cameron from “Carrion”
[Carillon], Quebec.[2]
We don’t know if the event took place in Montreal or St. Andrews
East (the St. Gabriel minister did visit St. Andrews sometimes).
Laughlin's signature at both times looks identical to me.

Born within a
few years of each other, Laughlan’s connection to Catherine
McIntyre seems evident but he became quite elusive after that. I
could not find him in Lower Canada (Quebec) census returns 1825,
1831, and in the two Canadas 1842 and 1851 (trusting the indexing)
but his age made it debatable whether he lived until 1851. Thinking
of carpenters and ships, where was the flourishing shipyard of the
era? — Kingston, Upper Canada.

The Governor
Simcoe built 1793 at Kingston as a merchant schooner. By C.H.J. Snider,
Toronto Public Library reference PICTURES-R-486. Retrieved from Ship
the "Governor Simcoe" (PICTURES-R-486), CC BY-SA 2.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28133956

Yes. A search
revealed children of Loughlin/Lauchlin/Laughlin and Margaret McIntire
being baptized in Kingston: John, 7 August 1803; Donald, 5 August
1804; Mary, 31 August 1806.[3]

The couple
was still there in March 1810 when they were sponsors, along with a
Margaret Cameron, at the baptism of Abraham Greely’s son. At
Laughlan’s first appearance on record there, in 1803, an author’s
note says he “became a member of Lodge no. 6 A.F. & A.M. in
1806.” Therefore it’s fairly clear he was living in Kingston in
the first decade of the nineteenth century and probably later. His
presence at the 1807 baptism in Quebec seems to have been a family
visit rather than his own residence.

Nothing
further has been found to date. If this is the same Laughlan, he is
not in the index to Kingston’s Cataraqui Cemetery transcript, nor
did he leave a will or estate file there. A Captain John McIntyre of
Portsmouth (just west of Kingston) died 24 July 1849 age forty-two[4]
and his wife Isabella Fraser died 27 July 1874 age sixty-seven;[5]
possibly John was Laughlan’s son. A Donald Malcolm McIntyre is
apparently also in Cataraqui Cemetery but details are absent.
Transfer records for Masonic Lodge members at that early date do not
seem to be available, in case Laughlan had again moved.

The cluster
of McIntyres in Pittsburgh Township (just east of Kingston) does not
show any likely points of connection; the oldest family members there
in 1851 are Hugh (ca.1791) and Archibald (ca.1801).[6] 1842 census
returns for Pittsburgh have not survived.

The search
for Laughlan stalled. And what about Margaret McIntyre, his wife? Did
any of their children take to carpentry or a marine life? What about
their marriage witness, Angus McIntyre? Then Christmas happened.
Great excuse for a break ...